Communication Jack Having Layered Plug Interface Contacts

ABSTRACT

A communication jack, system using the jack, and method of fabricating the jack are disclosed. The jack includes a cavity configured to accept a communication plug to form a communication connector. The jack includes a plurality of plug interface contacts that extend into the cavity such that a plug inserted into the cavity makes electrical contact with the plug interface contacts at plug/jack interfaces of the plug interface contacts. One or more of the plug interface contacts is formed from multiple conductive layers. The conductive layers are movable relative to each other at at least one end. A dielectric layer or flexible printed circuit board may be disposed between the conductive layers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/007,118, filed Jan. 14, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/955,699, filed Dec. 13, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No.7,874,877, issued on Jan. 25, 2011, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/869,834, filed Dec. 13, 2006,the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to communications jacks andmore specifically directed to communications jacks having layered pluginterface contacts.

BACKGROUND

In communications systems, cabled connections are established when theplugs at the ends of a cable are inserted into the jacks of the devicesto be connected. Before insertion of the plug into the jack, metalliccontacts in the jack are situated in a pre-insertion position. Afterinsertion of the plug into the jack, the metallic plug interfacecontacts of the jack are situated in a post-insertion position in whichthey contact the metallic plug contacts of the plug.

After repeated insertions of plugs into the jacks, the plug interfacecontacts may not be able to retain their pre- or post-insertionposition. This may cause problems in contacting the plug contacts whenthe plug interface contacts are supposed to be in their post-insertionpositions.

The problem of the plug interface contacts retaining their positions maybe exacerbated if different plugs are inserted into the jack. Differentplugs may have different numbers of plug contacts. Although the numberof plug contacts may be different, the size of the plug may remain thesame independent of the number of plug contacts. This permits the cavityinto which the plug is inserted also to be a standard size. The plug isformed such that the plug contacts are set back within insulatingmaterial and are thus electrically and physically isolated from eachother. As the number of plug contacts decrease, the outermost plugcontacts are eliminated, leaving the thickness of the plug in this arealarger. Thus, for example, if a plug with six plug contacts is insertedinto a jack having eight plug interface contacts, the two outermost pluginterface contacts will be bent further than the six inner pluginterface contacts. This stresses the plug interface contacts and mayeventually lead to severe distortion of the pre- or post-insertionposition. Thus, some of the plug interface contacts may be unable tocontact plug contacts when plugs with the same number of plug contactsare inserted into the jack.

In either case, it is thus desirable to increase the mechanicalrobustness of the plug interface contacts.

SUMMARY

A communication jack, system using the jack, and method of fabricatingthe jack are disclosed. The jack includes a cavity configured to accepta communication plug to form a communication connector. The jackincludes a plurality of plug interface contacts that extend into thecavity such that a plug inserted into the cavity makes electricalcontact with the plug interface contacts at plug/jack interfaces of theplug interface contacts. One or more of the plug interface contactscomprises a plurality of conductive layers.

In one embodiment, the conductive layers contact each other in thecavity, or at the plug/jack interface, and are formed of the samematerial. In another embodiment, the conductive layers are restrained ina thickness direction of the conductive layers such that the conductivelayers are able to move longitudinally relative to each other at atleast one end of the conductive layers. In another embodiment, theconductive layers contact each other in the cavity or at the plug/jackinterface and are able to move longitudinally relative to each other atat least one end of the conductive layers. In another embodiment, adielectric layer may be disposed between the conductive layers. Inanother embodiment, a flexible printed circuit board may be disposedbetween the conductive layers at the plug/jack interface.

The individual embodiments described herein may be combined in variousmanners such that any of the features in an embodiment may be used inanother embodiment, as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in detail with reference to the followingfigures wherein like numerals reference like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a jack beforeinsertion of a plug into the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows the simplified cross-sectional view of the jack afterinsertion of a plug into the jack;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show simplified cross-sectional and top views,respectively, of a first embodiment of a plug interface contact (PIC);and FIGS. 3C and 3D show simplified perspective and cross-sectionalviews, respectively, of a second embodiment of a PIC;

FIG. 4 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a jack beforeinsertion of a plug into the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of a pluginto the jack according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a perspective and cross-sectional view,respectively, of the sled of FIG. 5; FIG. 6C shows an enlarged view atthe plug/interface contact;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of a pluginto the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of a pluginto the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of a pluginto the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of aplug into the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of aplug into the jack according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a contact assembly of a jackaccording to one embodiment; and

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a jack before insertion of aplug into the jack according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show simplified cross-sectional views of a jack 100 beforeand after insertion of a plug into the jack 100 according to oneembodiment. The jack 100 includes a main housing 106 and a sled 104arranged to support the plug interface contacts 102. The sled 104 may beformed from one or more pieces. The main housing 106 and sled 104 areformed from one or more insulators and form a cavity 108 into which theplug is inserted. The plug interface contacts 102 are electricallyconnected to a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) such as through aflexible printed circuit (FPC) at one or more points along the pluginterface contacts 102. IDCs (Insulation Displacement Contacts) engagethe PCB from the rear via through-holes in the PCB. In otherembodiments, the plug interface contacts may contact the IDCs withoutthe use of one or both of the PCB and FPC. A rear housing havingpassageways for the IDCs and a wire cap serve to provide an interface toa twisted pair communication cable or punch-down block. Some of thesefeatures, although not present in FIG. 1 or 2, are illustrated in thevarious embodiments of FIGS. 6-18.

The plug interface contacts 102 are illustrated in a pre-insertionposition in FIG. 1. Although the plug interface contacts 102 are shownas contacting the insulating jack housing 106 in the pre-insertionposition, in other embodiments they may not contact the jack housing106. In the illustrated embodiment, each plug interface contact 102comprises a combination of a cantilevered portion 110 and a curvedportion 112. The curved portion 112 is retained by the sled 104. Whenthe plug interface contacts 102 are bent, there is a concentration ofmechanical stress at or near the location of constraint. When the stressexceeds the elastic limit of the materials forming the plug interfacecontact 102, a contact permanent set occurs. The shape of the pluginterface contact 102 then becomes distorted and may adversely affectelectrical contact between the plug contacts of the plug and the pluginterface contact of the jack, resulting in intermittent contact in somecases or lack of contact in other cases.

One way to prevent contact permanent set is to decrease the thickness ofthe plug interface contact 102. However, if the thickness of the pluginterface contact 102 is reduced, the contact normal force (i.e., theresistance to displacement) is also reduced. To retain the desiredcontact normal force while simultaneously decreasing the possibility ofpermanent set, the plug interface contact 102 comprises multipleconductive layers 114 a, 114 b, which are individual (separate) layersof conductive strips. Although only two conductive layers 114 a, 114 bare illustrated, any number can be present. The conductive layers 114 a,114 b contact each other in the cavity 108 at or near the plug/jackinterface (i.e., where the plug contacts make electrical and mechanicalcontact with the plug interface contacts of the jack) and/or thelocation of maximum mechanical stress. Although the conductive layers114 a, 114 b are shown as being the same size, they may have differentlengths, widths, or thicknesses depending on the desiredcharacteristics. Various advantages of forming the conductive layers 114a, 114 b with different dimensions will be described with reference tospecific embodiments below.

The conductive layers 114 a, 114 b may be formed of the same conductoror different conductors. Examples of the various conductors used tofabricate the conductive layers 114 a, 114 b include metals such ascopper, aluminum, gold, silver, and alloys thereof (e.g., bronze),stainless steel, or generally insulating materials that have beenimpregnated with conductive particles. While it may be advantageous incertain circumstances to use different materials, permanent laminationof different materials by various methods may be problematic and changethe characteristics of the structure. Also, the use of differentmaterials may cause the galvanic effect (corrosion) to occur.Accordingly, in some embodiments it may be preferable to fabricate theplug interface contact 102 from conductive layers 114 a, 114 b of thesame material.

The conductive layers 114 a, 114 b may be disposed to contact each othersuch that they have a desired thickness at a particular location. Thislocation can include the position of maximum stress of the pluginterface contact 102 and/or the plug/jack interface. The conductivelayers 114 a, 114 b may be stamped from a layered set of raw materialsor may be stacked during assembly of the jack 100. All or only some ofthe plug interface contacts 102 may be formed from the conductive layers114 a, 114 b. Similarly, different plug interface contacts 102 may beformed from one or more different sets of materials.

FIG. 2 illustrates the insertion of a plug 260 into the cavity 108 ofthe jack 100. In the figure, the plug 260 is inserted far enough intothe cavity 108 such that the plug contacts 270 contact and push the pluginterface contacts 102 of the jack 100 to the post-insertion position.The conductive layers 114 a, 114 b may be disposed to contact each othersuch that they have a desired thickness at a particular location.

The conductive layers 114 a, 114 b may not be attached throughout theconductive layers 114 a, 114 b. In this case, the conductive layers 114a, 114 b slide against each other when the plug 260 makes contact withthe top (or outer) conductive layer 114 a of the plug interface contacts102. This sliding action, along with the reduced thickness of theindividual conductive layers 114 a, 114 b, permits each conductive layer114 a, 114 b to withstand the displacement load supplied by the plug 160without being permanently deformed. In some embodiments, as theconductive layers 114 a, 114 b displace downward with plug insertion,the bottom (or inner) conductive layer 114 b extends further relative tothe top conductive layer 114 a causing a displacement d₁ as shown inFIG. 2. In one embodiment, the conductive layers 114 a, 114 b are notattached to each other at any point. In other embodiments, theconductive layers 114 a, 114 b may be attached at or near one of theends, i.e., the end retained by the sled 104 or the end disposed in thecavity 108. The conductive layers 114 a, 114 b can be attached by anymeans, such as welding, solder, a fastener, or an adhesive.Alternatively, or in addition, the conductive layers 114 a, 114 b can beattached at one or more regions or otherwise restrained in the thicknessdirection so long as the conductive layers 114 a, 114 b are able tosufficiently slide relative to each other and provide the desiredcontact normal force. For example, one end of the plug interfacecontacts may be soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB) retained inthe sled 104.

One or more of the conductive layers may be constrained in the lateral(width) direction, thereby reducing the possibility of contacting otherconductive layers. FIGS. 3A and 3B are a cross-sectional and top view,respectively, of a first embodiment in which one of the conductivelayers 316 constrains another of the conductive layers 318 alongsubstantially the entire length of the conductive layers 310. FIG. 3A isa cross-section taken along A-A of FIG. 3B. FIGS. 3C and 3D are aperspective view and a cross-sectional of a second embodiment in whichone of the conductive layers 326 (the constraint) constrains another ofthe conductive layers 328 (the constrained layer) at one or morelocations of the conductive layers 320. In the second embodiment, theconstrained layer 328 has a notch 324 in one or both sides and theconstraint 326 has a tab 322 that fits into each notch 324. The crosssection of FIG. 3D is taken from a portion of the second embodimentwhere the tab 322 and notch 324 overlap. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectiontaken along plane B of FIG. 3C.

In other embodiments (not shown), the constraint 326 may have one ormore tabs but the constrained layer 328 may not have a notch.Alternatively, the conductive layers may be restrained laterally withoutusing one or more notches or tabs via, e.g., one or more bands ofinsulating material that at least partially surround the conductivelayers of one or more of the plug interface contacts. Such a band maynot interfere substantially with the ability of the conductive layers toslide with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction. Inembodiments with or without such a band, the plug interface contacts maybe separated by an insulator (e.g., plastic) such that the pluginterface contacts are electrically and mechanically isolated from eachother.

Another embodiment of the jack is shown in the simplifiedcross-sectional view of FIG. 4. In this figure, as in FIG. 1, the jack400 is shown prior to insertion of a plug. The jack 400 includes a mainhousing 406 and a sled 404 arranged to support the plug interfacecontacts 410. The main housing 406 and sled 404 form a cavity 408 intowhich the plug is inserted. The plug interface contacts 410 includeconductive layers 414, 416 that are separated by a dielectric layer 418.As above, although only two conductive layers and one dielectric layerare shown, any number of layers may be present. The conductive layers414, 416 may be formed from the same material or different materials,and have the same or a different size. The dielectric layer 418 may beformed from one or more layers of the same material or differentmaterials.

The conductive layers 414, 416 and dielectric layer 418 may form atuning capacitor. In the capacitor, the outer conductive layer 416contacts the plug contacts of the plug and is connected to a first pincontact in the FPC or PCB (not shown). The inner conductive layer 414 isconnected to a second pin contact in the circuit board. The conductivelayers forming the capacitor may transition to the proper pin in thearea below the cavity 408. For example, the outer conductive layer ofthe third plug interface contact may be connected to the third pincontact on the circuit board, while the inner conductive layer of thethird plug interface contact (and the outer conductive layer of thefifth plug interface contact) is connected to the fifth pin contact,thereby creating a 3-5 contact capacitor. Such a capacitor can be usedto tune the 45-36 pair of the plug. Reducing the width of one (e.g.,inner) conductive layer of the capacitance relative to the other (e.g.,outer) conductive layer may help to eliminate problems due to largepotential differences between the contact layers. The connection betweenthe inner conductive layer and a particular pin may be designed to avoidinterfering with the movement of the plug or creating short circuitswith other pins.

As in the previous embodiment, the conductive layers 414, 416 anddielectric layer 418 may be free to move relative to each other or maybe restrained in one or more directions. In addition, as indicatedabove, although the conductive layers 414, 416 and dielectric layer 418are shown as extending along the entire length of the various layers,one or more of the layers may be limited in one or more dimensions. Forexample, one of the conductive layers may be thinner or narrower thanthe other conductive layer, or the dielectric layer can be the samethickness or a different thickness from the conductive layers. As thewidth of one of the conductive layers or the dielectric layer decreases,the parallel-plate capacitance between the conductive layers likewisedecreases. The conductive layers and/or dielectric layer may also beprovided in one or more local areas of the plug interface contact,thereby altering the electrical and mechanical properties of the pluginterface contact.

In addition to mechanical robustness of the plug interface contacts, itis also desirable to provide favorable electrical characteristics, suchas a reduction in cross-talk (noise) of the connector. An extensivediscussion of noise suppression in connectors may be found in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/180,216, entitled “CommunicationConnector With Flexible Printed Circuit Board,” filed Jul. 13, 2005,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Theeffectiveness of noise compensation circuitry increases with decreasingdistance from the plug/jack interface.

A cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the jack is shown inFIG. 5, with perspective and cross-sectional views of the sled beingshown in FIGS. 6A-6C. In this figure, the jack 500 is shown prior toinsertion of a plug. The jack 500 includes a main housing 506 and a sled504 arranged to support the plug interface contacts 510. The mainhousing 506 and sled 504 form a cavity 508 into which the plug isinserted. The plug interface contacts 510 include conductive layers 514,516 and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 502 disposed between theconductive layers 514, 516. Specifically, one end of the FPC 502 issandwiched between the conductive layers 514, 516 in the cavity 508essentially only at the plug/jack interface 518. The other end of theFPC 502 is connected, e.g., via solder, to a PCB 512 retained by thesled 504. Using such a configuration reduces the amount of currentflowing in the plug interface contacts 510, since the contact/FPCinterface is located at the plug/jack interface 518. This decreases asource of crosstalk and other noise. The flexibility of the FPC 502allows it to be connected to all the plug interface contacts 510, whichdo not move exactly in unison when a plug is inserted. The FPC 502 maybe disposed between adjacent plug interface contacts 510 or may beformed in a comb shape such that the portion in contact with the PCB 512is substantially rectangular while individual elements extend from therectangular portion to make contact with the individual plug interfacecontacts 510.

As shown, the top conductive layer 516 is thinner than the bottomconductive layer 514, although the conductive layers 514, 516 may havethe same thickness in other embodiments. The bottom conductive layer 514may have an offset configured to retain the FPC 502. Such an arrangementhelps to minimize the length from the plug/jack interface 518 to the PCB512. Holes 520 in the PCB 512 may contain insulation displacementcontacts (IDCs). The ends of one or both of the conductive layers 514,516 proximate to the FPC 502 may be curved and/or milled to remove sharpcorners or burrs and thereby reduce the possibility of damage to the FPC502. The conductive layers 514, 516 may be free or restrained asindicated above. If the conductive layers 514, 516 are restrained, theymay be restrained in one or more locations as described or may berestrained essentially throughout the length of the plug interfacecontact 502. The FPC 502 may contain, for example, contact pads, currentcarrying traces, and capacitive and/or inductive areas in variouslocations.

The PCB can be disposed in other locations within the jack, so long aselectrical communication is able to be effectuated between the plug andthe PCB via the plug interface contacts and FPC.

FIGS. 7-13 show different embodiments of layered contacts and PCBplacements according to the present invention. In FIGS. 7-13, likeelements are given similar reference numerals. A cross-sectional view ofan embodiment of a jack 700 in which the PCB 712 is disposed vertically(i.e. perpendicular to the direction of plug movement), rather thanhorizontally (i.e. parallel to the direction of plug movement) is shownin FIG. 7. In this figure, the jack 700 is shown prior to insertion of aplug. The plug interface contacts 710 include conductive layers 714, 716and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 702 disposed between the conductivelayers 714, 716. The FPC 702 is sandwiched between the conductive layers714, 716. One end of the FPC 702 is connected to a vertically disposedPCB 712.

When a plug (not shown) is inserted into the cavity, the plug contacts(not shown) of the plug communicate with the FPC 702 at the plug/jackinterface 718 through contact pads on the FPC 702. As illustrated inthis embodiment, the bottom conductive layer 714 is longer than the topconductive layer 716, allowing for inter-contact capacitance to be addedat the end of the FPC 702 near the plug/jack interface 718. The bottomconductive layer 714 also has a raised area 722 at the plug/jackinterface 718. The raised area 722 is curved in an arc that contacts theFPC 702 and increases the normal force of the bottom contact 714 on thecontact pads/traces of the FPC 702. In another embodiment, the topconductive layer 716 may be longer than the bottom conductive layer 714.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a communication jack 800 accordingto another embodiment of the present invention. The plug interfacecontacts 810 include conductive layers 814, 816 of unequal lengths andthicknesses. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the bottom conductive layer814 is thicker than the top conductive layer 816 and provides themajority of the mechanical force for the plug interface contact 810. Thebottom conductive layer 814 terminates near the plug/jack interface 818.The top conductive layer 816 extends from the plug/jack interface 818further into the cavity 808 than the bottom conductive layer 814. Thetop conductive layer 816 extends from the plug/jack interface 818towards the rear of the jack 800, where the top conductive layer 816bends such that the top contact layer 816 forms an acute angle. The topconductive layer 816 contacts a contact pad 824 of ahorizontally-disposed PCB 812.

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of ajack 900. The plug interface contacts 910 include conductive layers 914,916 of unequal lengths and thicknesses. The conductive layers 914, 916are separated by an FPC 902. The bottom conductive layer 914 is thickerthan the top conductive layer 916 and provides the majority of themechanical force for the plug interface contact 910. The bottomconductive layer 914 terminates near the plug/jack interface 918.

The FPC 902 is disposed between the conductive layers 914, 916throughout the length of the conductive layers 914, 916. The FPC 902 isconnected at one end to a vertically-disposed PCB 912, similarly to theembodiment shown in FIG. 7. The bottom conductive layer 914 is shorterthan the top conductive layer 916. The top conductive layer 916communicates with the FPC 902 at the plug/jack interface 918 throughcontact pads on the FPC 902. The bottom conductive layer 914 is formedto separate slightly from the FPC 902 away from the plug/jack interface918 and has a flat raised area 922 that contacts contact pads/traces ofthe FPC 902 at the plug/jack interface 918. The raised area 922increases the normal force of the bottom contact 914 at the plug/jackinterface 918. The FPC 902 also extends farther than the raised area 902of the bottom conductive layer 914, which allows inter-contactcapacitance to be added on the end of the FPC 902 near the plug/jackinterface 918.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of ajack 1000. The plug interface contacts 1010 include conductive layers1014, 1016 of unequal lengths and thicknesses. The conductive layers1014, 1016 are in contact for at least some of the region between theplug/jack interface 1018 and the end retained in the sled 1004. Thebottom conductive layer 1014 is thicker than the top conductive layer1016 and provides the majority of the mechanical force for the pluginterface contact 1010. The bottom conductive layer 1014 terminates nearthe plug/jack interface 1018, while the top conductive layer 1016extends farther into the cavity 1008 of the jack 1000.

An FPC 1002 is disposed between the conductive layers 1014, 1016essentially only at the plug/jack interface 1018. The FPC 1002 isconnected at one end to a vertically-disposed PCB 1012. The topconductive layer 1016 communicates with the FPC 1002 at the plug/jackinterface 1018 through contact pads on the FPC 1002. The bottomconductive layer 1014 is separated slightly from the top conductivelayer 1016 due to the FPC 1002 disposed at the plug/jack interface 1018.Alternatively, the bottom conductive layer may contain a raised area,similarly to the above. The FPC 1002 contains current-carrying tracesand capacitive areas.

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of ajack 1100. The plug interface contacts 1110 include conductive layers1114, 1116 of unequal lengths and thicknesses. The bottom conductivelayer 1114 is thicker than the top conductive layer 1116 and providesthe majority of the mechanical force for the plug interface contact1110. The bottom conductive layer 1114 terminates near the plug/jackinterface 1118. The top conductive layer 1116 extends farther than thebottom conductive layer 1114.

An FPC 1102 is disposed between the conductive layers 1114, 1116 at theplug/jack interface 1118. The bottom conductive layer 1114 is separatedslightly from the FPC 1102 away from the plug/jack interface 1118 andhas a flat offset 1122 that contacts the FPC 1102 at the plug/jackinterface 1118.

The FPC 1102 is doubled on itself and connected at both ends to one ormore vertically-disposed PCBs 1112. The FPC 1102 may be attached to thePCB 1112 via solder at each end of the FPC 1102. The doubling over ofthe FPC 1102 provides permits the use of four layers of traces whilemaximizing the flexibility of the assembly. The offset 1122 providesenough separation to permit the doubled FPC 1102 to fit between the topconductive layer 1116 and the bottom conductive layer 1114.

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a contact assembly 1200 ofa jack according to one embodiment. The contact assembly 1200 includes abody 1204 from which plug interface contacts 1210 extend. The pluginterface contacts 1210 include conductive layers 1214, 1216 of unequallengths and thicknesses. The plug interface contacts 1210 are retainedby the body 1204. The conductive layers 1214, 1216 extend from aplug/jack interface 1218 to an end retained in the body 1204. The pluginterface contacts 1210 are connected to pins 1230 that extend from thebody 1204. The conductive layers 1214, 1216 are in contact for at leastsome of the region between the plug/jack interface 1218 and the endretained in the body 1204. The bottom conductive layer 1214 is thickerthan the top conductive layer 1216 and provides the majority of themechanical force for the plug interface contact 1210. The bottomconductive layer 1214 terminates near the plug/jack interface 1218,while the top conductive layer 1216 extends farther than the bottomconductive layer 1214. A flexible capacitor 1226 is disposed between theconductive layers 1214, 1216 at the plug/jack interface 1218. Thisreduces the distance between the plug/jack interface 1218 and thecapacitance of the capacitor 1226.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of ajack 1300, which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11. The pluginterface contacts 1310 include conductive layers 1314, 1316 of unequallengths and thicknesses. The conductive layers 1314, 1316 are in contactfor at least some of the region between the plug/jack interface 1318 andthe end retained in the sled. The bottom conductive layer 1314 is formedfrom equal thickness sub-layers 1314 a, 1314 b. The thickness of each ofthe sub-layers 1314 a, 1314 b is about equal to that of the topconductive layer 1316. Thus, the bottom conductive layer 1314 has abouttwice the thickness of the top conductive layer 1316 and provides themajority of the mechanical force for the plug interface contact 1310. Inother embodiments, the relative thicknesses of the top conductive layer1316 and each of the sub-layers 1314 a, 1314 b may be altered asdesired. For example, the sub-layers 1314 a, 1314 b may have the samethickness or may have different thicknesses, and one or both of thesub-layers 1314 a, 1314 b may have a different thickness than the topconductive layer 1316. The bottom conductive layer 1314 terminates nearthe plug/jack interface 1318, while the top conductive layer 1316extends farther into the cavity 1308 of the jack 1300.

An FPC 1302 is disposed between the conductive layers 1314, 1316 only atthe plug/jack interface 1318. The FPC 1302 is connected at one end to avertically-disposed PCB 1312. The bottom conductive layer 1314 isshorter than the top conductive layer 1316. When a plug (not shown) isinserted into the cavity 1308, the plug contacts (not shown) of the plugcommunicate with the FPC 1302 at the plug/jack interface 1318 throughcontact pads on the FPC 1302. The bottom conductive layer 1314 isseparated slightly from the top conductive layer 1316 due to the FPC1302 disposed at the plug/jack interface 1318.

As indicated above, the features of any of the above embodiments may becombined in any manner possible. The various embodiments of the jack maybe used in any device such as communications equipment. For example, itmay be beneficial to incorporate the jack in a wall outlet, an end-userdevice such as a computer, a mid-span device such as a patch panel, or anetwork device such as a network manager.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and otherfeatures and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications. For example,“a” may denote the use of one or more elements. The lists presentedherein are intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. Also,variations presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives,modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequentlymade by those skilled in the art, and are also intended to beencompassed by the following claims.

1. A communications jack configured to accept a communication plug, thejack comprising: a cavity configured to accept the communication plug;and a plurality of plug interface contacts that extend into the cavitysuch that the plug in the cavity makes electrical contact with the pluginterface contacts, at least one of the plug interface contacts formedof individual layered conductive strips wherein adjacent surfaces of theindividual layered conductive strips contact each other along a majorityof a surface area of the adjacent surfaces.
 2. The communications jackof claim 1, wherein the adjacent surfaces contact each other alongsubstantially the entire surface area of the adjacent surfaces when theplug is not inserted into the communications jack.
 3. The communicationsjack of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plug interface contactsconsists of the plug interface contacts most proximate to sides of thejack.
 4. The communications jack of claim 1, wherein the individuallayered conductive strips are all of the same thickness.
 5. Thecommunications jack of claim 1, wherein each of the plug interfacecontacts of the plurality of plug interface contacts is formed ofindividual layered conductive strips.
 6. The communications jack ofclaim 1, wherein the individual layered conductive strips are formed ofthe same material.